The Arizona Case
by ghouladventures
Summary: Reid finds himself stranded in the Arizona desert while working on a case. Will the BAU team be able to find him before they lose Reid forever?
1. Chapter 1

"Has anybody seen Reid?" Morgan asked the BAU team, but their response was shaking their heads no. "Wasn't he going with the police department to get a closer look at the crime scene?" Prentiss suggested, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Why didn't he tell us that?" JJ questioned, her brows furrowing in thought. Something didn't seem right about this.

The BAU was working on a case in Phoenix, Arizona. The unsub's M.O was pushing people off of cliffs in the desert to kill them discreetly and cleanly, but it wasn't long before the FBI started working the case. Victimology indicated that the murder victims were from opportunity, not a specific type. It was also sweltering hot, even in the early autumn September.

Reid and the police were trying to find evidence to fit the profile on who the killer might be. Shoe prints, cigarette butts, blood, anything that could narrow down their search. If they were lucky they might be able to find traces of DNA. Once they found all that they could find, the police decided it was time to head back to the station. They began to walk away, leaving Reid behind. He didn't plan on being left behind, but Reid was in the middle of a thought that could not be interrupted.

He peered down the edge of the cliff. It wasn't too high, but it was high enough to kill somebody, Reid estimated about 3 stories. Reid heard footsteps behind him, he assumed it was the police officer telling him it was time to head back. He turned around and to his surprise, was face to face with a man no other than their unsub.

Morgan watched as the police came back into the station. "Talk to you later baby girl" He replied to Garcia and hung up the phone. His eyes scanned for a sign of Reid but he was not to be seen. He didn't want to admit it to himself but his gut didn't feel right about something. Morgan could feel it. Walking up to the police he asked "Is Reid with you guys? I need to ask him something" Morgan said, adding the last part to make it seem he wasn't as worried.

The officers looked at each other confused, "I thought he was in your car" each officer said to the other, revealing that they had left Reid behind. Morgan could imagine Reid standing in the blazing sun, sweating from under his sweater vest. "We need to go back" Morgan ordered, heading for the door already.

Reid raised his gun as fast as he could, pointing it towards the unsub, although he wasn't certain it was who they were looking for. "FBI, put your hands up" Reid ordered. The man did not do as he asked, instead he began to walk closer slowly but aggressively. Reid didn't have the option of backing up further, or he would fall into the ravine. The man pressed his chest right up against the barrel of the gun mockingly.

Reid's mind raced as he thought of how he would manage to cuff the unsub without shooting or falling off the cliff. He felt so stupid grabbing the cuffs as quickly as possible and trying to grab the man's hands. The man pushed the handcuffs out of Reid's hands and they fell on the ground. Before Reid could react, the man had his hands on Reid's shoulders. Reid could tell what was coming next. His back facing the edge of the cliff, he felt a slight breeze blow through his brown locks. "P-please don't" Reid whimpered, still holding his gun up.

Pressure was put upon Reid's shoulders and he fell back, shooting forward, crimson staining his hands and forearms. His stomach dropped as his footing was lost on the cliff. He slipped down and grabbed onto the edge of the cliff, clinging onto his life. Reid knew he couldn't stay like this for long. He tried to pull himself back up the cliff but the sand underneath his fingers shifted, sending him downward.

Reid tumbled down the ravine, hitting rocks and kicking up dust. He grunted in pain as each turn of his body was met with rough terrain. It felt like an eternity, but finally he was thrown to the ground with a loud thump. Reid tried to lift his head, but his body gave up and he collapsed, letting darkness take over.


	2. Chapter 2

On the way to the crime scene, Morgan tried calling Reid multiple times, but there was no answer. Only the haunting ringing and eventual voicemail. "Dammit" Morgan muttered under his breath in frustration. "He's not answering?" Prentiss asked from the passenger seat. "No, it keeps ringing, which means he didn't turn it off. Prentiss I'm telling you somethings definitely wrong here" Morgan replied before they drove in awkward silence. Each second that passed made him more worried. Morgan applied more and more pressure to the gas pedal, soon he realized he was going 80 miles per hour. "Morgan you're going kinda fast don't you think?" Prentiss asked slightly nervous.

"I know" Morgan stated. Instead of slowing down he turned on the flashers and siren, he needed to know Reid was okay.

Spencer awoke to a throbbing pain in his head, in fact, his whole body stung with cuts and bruises becoming infected with dirt and sand. He let out a few dry coughs before he looked up, seeing the sunset sky. "If only I didn't just fall down a cliff, this would be a beautiful day" Reid thought to himself. With his head resting uncomfortably on the ground, a sound jolted him from his thoughts. The sound being the spine chilling hiss of a rattlesnake tail.

Reid carefully and slowly turned his trembling head to face the serpent. He saw it coiled up, its scales shining in the orange sunset, its tongue coming out and in as its fierce eyes stared Reid down. Never letting his eyes leave the snake, Reid carefully tried to stand up, it was a good thing he didn't have too much exposed skin. The snake hissed and rattled his tail more, making Spencer's stomach drop with fear. He knew if he got bit in these conditions he would die.

Spencer remembered reading an article about rattlesnake survival, but all that he could remember was that a rattlesnake's striking distance was about one third of its hight. All Reid had to do was get out of that striking distance. The snake began to uncoil itself and stretch upwards, making itself bigger. Reid didn't have much time to think this through. On the count of three, Reid jumped to the right. The serpent dove towards him, Spencer backed up further and took of running, he didn't want to take his chances.

It was at least a 45 minute drive to where the crime scene was, and Morgan was getting impatient. Thoughts raced through his head as Morgan wondered if Reid was okay. Once they were there Morgan had his door open before he could even park. He slammed the door shut and ran out to the edge of the cliff where the unsub performed his murders.

Morgan stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing a body near the edge of the cliff. There was a gunshot wound and a pool of blood beneath him. "Prentiss" Morgan called her over. "Do you think it's our unsub?" Prentiss questioned, slipping on a pair of blue latex gloves. Morgan didn't reply, instead he was looking for Reid. "Reid?!" He called out but there was no reply. It was getting dark out, the atmosphere was getting colder too. He ran back and forth the perimeter of the cliffside but there was no sign of Spencer.


End file.
